Joe Cole thinks we can... *sigh*

[Triggaaar]

I think there ought to be a difference between a cack popularist red top and the BBC, personally.

If Cole had said we haven't got a realistic chance, I'm not sure the BBC would have screamed "Cole slams England chances", I think (hope) they'd have moved on.

Yes, fair point. But he's not wrong to say we could, stranger things have happened (although I can't think of any off the top of my head).

We needed a win against Poland, so it was ok to see us play such an attacking setup, but the lack of defending was enough to keep reality firmly in my mind - we're not world beaters.

 

[Gritt23]

2 decent performances against below average opposition and we're suddenly world beaters.

Which sadly sums up his generation of England players. The slightest success and they thought they were World beaters, and any performance delivered below the level of World Beaters would come with a load of tripe about "we know we can play better" and "World Class players in that team" blah blah blah.

#sigh

 

[mejonaNO12 aka riskit]

2 decent performances against below average opposition and we're suddenly world beaters.

To be honest, has anyone actually said we're world beaters?

I think this is the most downplayed I've ever seen an England team. By the manager, by the captain and even by the media as a whole.

Sure, when the tournament begins we'll all be PATRIOTIC and URGING them on...but I don't think anyone actually thinks we're a top top team in the context of all the other teams.

There's a difference between celebrating qualification (which would be a shame to not do) and claiming we are brilliant.

 

[Mellotron]

To be honest, has anyone actually said we're world beaters?

I think this is the most downplayed I've ever seen an England team. By the manager, by the captain and even by the media as a whole.

Sure, when the tournament begins we'll all be PATRIOTIC and URGING them on...but I don't think anyone actually thinks we're a top top team in the context of all the other teams.

There's a difference between celebrating qualification (which would be a shame to not do) and claiming we are brilliant.

Quite. And this is exactly WHY it's the best time to be an England fan in ages. Expectations are realistic for the first time in ages.

 

[Mo Gosfield]

Which sadly sums up his generation of England players. The slightest success and they thought they were World beaters, and any performance delivered below the level of World Beaters would come with a load of tripe about "we know we can play better" and "World Class players in that team" blah blah blah.


Its typical of this country. Everything is hyped up to..." great, fantastic, world class, out of this world, brilliant etc. When you dish out superlatives to the quite ordinary then you have nothing left for the extraordinary. You've used up all your reserve. Its like judges telling 17 year old kids on X Factor..." that was a world class performance " Its doing them a disservice. They suddenly think they are up there with stellar world stars, when they haven't even performed to a paying audience.
The education system has finally come to its senses and realised that you can't keep lowering exam standards to achieve better results year after year after year. Thousands of kids, all with strings of A stars. Genius after genius. Except they are not. They have been misled and sadly let down.
World class means performing at the highest level of your profession and being recognised as one of the best in the world. Having the ability to influence and change at the highest level.
We have no England footballers of world class. Despite our proud boasts, we have not been blessed with many in our history. You can count them on the fingers of two hands....Matthews, Finney, Edwards ( fleetingly ) Banks, Moore and Charlton.R. These six stand alone. Just behind them come some players, who were close to top class.....Wright, Haynes, Greaves, Wilson, Peters, Ball, Shilton, Clemence, Keegan, Robson, Lineker, Gascoigne, Shearer, Owen.
Of the recent and current generation...Beckham, Cole ( Ashley ) Gerrard and Rooney...are the only ones who threaten to break into the second list. A list that doesn't include...Hurst, Bell, Brooking, Wilkins, Ferdinand, Beardsley, Barnes, Platt, Sheringham, Scholes and many others.
I'll leave it to you to decide whether any of the four break into the second list. For me, the jury is out.

 

[Mo Gosfield]

Quite. And this is exactly WHY it's the best time to be an England fan in ages. Expectations are realistic for the first time in ages.

Spot on.
Feet on the ground time. Plenty of teams better than us. So we have to be well drilled and organised. Everyone playing to their strengths. We have to be a little bit brave and take the game to some teams. If we are best going forward, then we go forward and try and score more than we let in.
We have to have spirit and energy and no dissent in the camp ( NO LEAKS!!! ) Unity and self belief can go a long way.

 

[Albumen]

He should stick to window licking.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

To be honest, has anyone actually said we're world beaters?

Mellotron?

 

[TWOCHOICEStom]

Joe Cole shouldn't be allowed near a microphone. He don't do the English so good.

 

[1901]

2 decent performances against below average opposition and we're suddenly world beaters.

Spain are World Champions so we are World Beaters. What a great night (Nov 11)

 

[Mellotron]

Mellotron?

zzz

 

[Coldeanseagull]

I'm constantly amazed with a lot of you on here. A professional footballer voices an opinion, his comments are crucified in the press and then it's a full on investigation and analysis session into why we won't win anything!
I'm sure there's some on here waiting for a total failure of the teams we choose to support just so they can say I told you so. What is this, recruitment day for The Friends Of Beachy Head?
May be if Joe Cole came on here and read a few threads, I'm sure the pessimism would soon rub off.
Cue the posts saying you're just being realistic, well sod that. Dare to dream people cos I'm happier in the sunshine of what could happen rather than the doom and gloom of some of these comments

 

[ali jenkins]

Yes, fair point. But he's not wrong to say we could, stranger things have happened (although I can't think of any off the top of my head).

Greece 2004?

 

[ali jenkins]

How the hell does Joey Barton know anything about Brazil's climate!?
I doubt he could point out Brazil on a map of South America with huge highlighted country names let alone know its climate.

Why do you think this? I am sure that Joey Barton is more than capable of locating Brazil on a map and it doesn't take a genius to work out that a country in that part of the world is going to be hot and humid in June/July.

 

[ali jenkins]

He is not exactly one of the sharpest individuals.

Compared to other Footballers I think he is probably one of the more intelligent ones. His anger issues do let him down and people just use the lazy opinion of thinking that he is thick and stupid.

 

[joeinbrighton]

I admire his optimism, although I think it is sadly misplaced.

That said, England should absolutely being go there with the mind set that they think they can win it, otherwise what's the point in turning up? The randomness of the FIFA rankings could in fact do England a favour early on as although they could draw Brazil or Argentina, equally they could get a draw against a Uruguay side that is past its best (assuming they qualify) or a Switzerland team that they took 4 points from in qualifying for Euro 2012 and who you'd imagine their manager is familiar with given his previous tenure in that position.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

zzz

come on. You do get rather carried away with victories over rubbish nations and meaningless friendly wins. And that's not to mention your rather weird outburst about Germany's "failure" at the last Euros.